Desired effect
by Brandiwine
Summary: Methos meets up with a slightly imbalanced immortal and takes her in. Duncan helps hhim, but has a wife and child. Please leave reviews to help the writer.


(Highlander)

"Desired Effect"

By Brandi Bills

9/16/07

I do not own Highlander. Nor am I offiliated with the Highlander TV or movies. I'm simply a devoted fan.

I

Paris, france

_St. _Andrews _Hospital

there was a thick fog lifting just a little like in her brain. It was like she had been sleeping for an eternity, but didn't know why she was or how she'd gotten here. Wherever here was she thought as she opened her eyes to see a thin, tall man with fine blond hair and kind brown eyes. a man who wore an outfit of blue trousers and polo shirt with orphapedic shoes and a white labcoat. A man she knew to be Dr. Lumeir. A doctor she'd known for a long time not knowing why that was either.

"'Ow are we doin' t'is mornin'?" He asked in a french accent that told her she was still in Paris for reasons she did not know.

"foggy as usual, Dr. Lumeir. Why am I here?"

"You always ask me t'at." He said taking a seat in a white plastic chair near her bedside.

"And you never give me a straight answer. How many years have I been here and why?"

"I've lost count. Why does it matter? You're well treated 'ere are you not?"

"Yes. I never see the outside." She said wearing a fluffy pink nightgown with her long brown hair in a french braid Dr. Lumeir fashioned for her on occasion.

"come now, Liannon. You know you cannot see much. You are blind." dr. Lumeir whispered as sadness clouded her barely seeing eyes.

"I see a little bit, but not enough. You're right. What will breakfast be today?" she asked getting up and making her bed as usual her routine.

"You get dressed and I'll take care of t'at. Ok?" He suggested rising to leave her to her privacy.

"Merci, Misseur. I'll be along." She said kissing his cheeks as he smiled and abruptly left. when suddenly, Liannon had a feeling of danger and cringed, going to the nearby closet for an ancient sword that was her protection.

"I know you're in there, Blind One. come out and die." A gruff voice commanded from the other side of the door. Liannon did not cower however. she stood up as straight as she could and came out swinging.

"You think you can take me? Do your worst." Liannon challenged as she waited as Cal Muffler lunged and Liannon struck with her sword in just the right place to cut off his head. When a freak lightning storm came indoors and engulfed her. a storm she had experienced many times before.

"Liannon! You must get out. t'e 'ospital is on fire!" Dr. Lumeir called through a haze of smoke as Liannon grabbed a packed bag from the closet and felt her way out to a safe place beyond the doctor and hospital where she'd mistakingly run into Adam Pierson, alias Methos the Immortal.

"sorry." Methos said as the girl had ran into him and stopped if she were lost.

"Can you help me? I need help." Liannon muttered falling towards Methos as he caught her in strong arms and knew the truth.

II

Anna Macleod was a happily married woman with a baby she loved and thought she could never have. Her little boy looked like Duncan his father and was just as beautiful. Anna was petite with long dark hair and soft eyes wearing a pale, yellow dress when a vision came of a girl with Methos who needed Duncan's help.

"Duncan!" She called rushing through the house in Seacouve to find him as he came out from the shower to see if she was all right.

"Anna, what is it? Are you ok? Is RJ ok?" Duncan asked toweling off his hair.

"We're fine. Methos needs your help. He's at _St. _Andrews _Hospital. Please, go there." Anna emplored as the vision faded and Duncan knew Ann had ad a vision he knew was the truth.

"I'll go and see what's going on. will you be ok?" Duncan asked after dressing quickly in jeans and a soft, grey turtleneck with loafers and jacket.

"The bad time is over. We'll be fine. Tell me what happened when you come back?" She emplored kissing him goodbye after handing him his keys.

"Always."

Duncan drove as fast as he could keeping to the speed limit as he saw fire trucks and paramedics near the hospital Methos had said he'd be at. Duncan jumped out and searched for methos as he found him walking around with an unconscious girl trying to find an inconspicuous way out.

"I've got my car." Duncan said to methos who wore brown trousers with a yellow polo shirt and white coat with loafers on his feet. His hair was cropped brown and his eyes were worried hazel as he smiled before jumping into Duncan's Thunderbird to go away from the chaos where they might be safe.

"thanks for coming to the rescue, Mac." Methos said as the girl did not come to.

"You can thank Anna. She had a vision." Duncan muttered driving more slowly away from the scene so as not to attract unwanted attention.

"I'll thank her later."

"who's the girl?" Duncan inquired breaking at a stop light.

"I don't know who she is, but I know what she is." Methos said as Duncan's brows furrowed.

"She's an immortal?"

"Yes, she is complete with sword and all.

III

"so where should I drop you?" Duncan asked knowing he couldn't take them to his place because of the lack of space.

"Why not take us to the loft you used to reside in? I can procure that and we can be safe there." methos suggested as Duncan frowned.

"That's not holy ground."

"Does it have to be holy ground? I think she's killed before." methos said smoothing hair from Liannon's eyes.

"I think it should be holy ground. Methos, she came from a psychiatric facility you were working at." duncan said gazing at Methos with caring eyes.

"I know that, Duncan. Where do you suggest we go? This day is just getting more complicated by the minute.

"A monistary. I'll drive around until I find one." Duncan said driving along the Sene as the sea air roused Liannon from her confused swoon.

"Where am I? Who are you?" She asked seeing she was sitting on a strangers lap.

"I'm Adam Pierson from the hospital. Remember?" The man asked in an accent she could listen to for hours.

"Where are you from? I love your voice."

"I'm from Cardiff, Wales. Why?"

"She likes your voice. She'll probably like mine as well." Duncan said sarcastically as Liannon grew quiet.

"Did he frighten you? He was only kidding." Methos said as Liannon thought of her bag and tried to get at it with furious determination.

"let me." Methos said taking her bag from her back, gently handing it to her as she smiled gratefully.

"What's in the bag?" Duncan asked seeing fear in her eyes.

"Medicine." She answered truthfully as Duncan pulled up to a monistary Methos used to frequent in earlier times.

"I can't believe it's still standing." Methos said getting out of the car after Liannon had rose from his lap.

"Why are we here?" She asked wondering if she should flee.

"This is holy ground. You are one of us right?" Duncan asked not voicing the word of their kind.

"Yes. I didn't want to sin. I had to stay alive." She said as tears clouded her eyes again.

"None of us want to kill, but we have to." duncan said as Methos took Liannon's hand and led her inside to rest and relaxation.

IV

"Are we to stay here?" Liannon asked after Methos had led her to the monks quarters where there were rooms with beds and closets.

"We'll be safe here for now. I'll watch after you. I have to go and work at a local hospital. Unfortunately, not the one from today." methos said eyeing Liannon clinically.

"You are a doctor then?" She asked perching on the end of a bed.

"Yes, I am a doctor. Why do you take those?" He asked seeing two green pills in her hand that she swallowed with bottled water.

"Dr. Lumeir gave them to me. He said to take them when I felt anxious, fearful, or sad."

"And you feel either or all three?" he asked with beautiful hazel eyes.

"Yes. Will I be safe here?" she asked as methos pulled down a modest flannel blanket for her to get under for warmth.

"Yes. If I'm not here, Mac said he'd come and stay with you. Anna won't mind. RJ won't know. he's just a little baby."

"What does RJ stand for?" Liannon asked freezing the expression on Methos's face as he thought of dead friends and felt sad himself.

"There was a man called Joe Dawson. he was killed by the Guardian just like another friend Richie." Methos stopped seeing tears spill down liannon's cheeks in grief.

"I knew them both, and Joe was my friend. Richie was my friend too. he was so kind and soft spoken. See? I need the pills." She said wiping her eyes with a tissue from her bag before closing them in sleep.

"So what did she say?" Duncan asked as Methos met him in the rectory where pues sat for parishoners who would not be coming back.

"She asked what RJ stood for. She knew Joe and Richie." Methos said running a clammy hand over his five thousand year-old face.

"What was in the bag she was so anxious to get at?"

"Pills for either sadness, fear, or anxiety. she's experiencing all three. At least she isn't in danger from the Guardian."

"You're right. With the Guardian--"

"She'd be dead." Methos said seeing a flicker of something else in his brown eyes.

"Something else."

"Yeah, what?" Methos asked gazing into Duncan's knowing eyes.

"She's never seen your face."

"What are you saying?" methos asked in confusion that made Duncan laugh.

"Methos, you are old and wise. Yet you miss a fact. Liannon never saw your face or mine."

"I don't get you." Methos said almost linking onto something in his brain.

"Liannon is nearly blind. She can't see you or me."

"Then how could she kill with a sword?" Methos asked with appreciation.

"I don't know. Only she knows that. I have to go, but I'll be back tomorrow." Duncan said leaving out a nearby exit as methos stared after him with a (duh) look on his face.

V

Liannon saw sunlight streaming through one of the high windows as she knew it was another day. She got up slowly from the grogginess of the pills and stumbled to the kitchen where Duncan was busy stirring a pot of chocolate and watching a kettle to boil. He wore a blue shirt with blue trousers she hated as she sat down at the table when Methos appeared.

"sleep well?" Methos asked dressed in the same clothes that were a darker shade of blue with white labcoat.

"I slept. I don't know if I slept well or not."

"I procurred breakfast, but I can't stay. Thanks for staying, Mac." Methos said rising to leave.

"No problem. Have a good day." Duncan said smiling trying to be domestic.

"Have a good day, Adam." Liannon said as Duncan realized she didn't know who Adam really was.

"How about breakfast then?" Duncan suggested taking food from a bag Methos had positioned on the old wooden table. A table that looked as though it had never been used.

"What is it?" She asked feeling tears fill her eyes.

"Egg Mcmuffins and hashbrowns. I made hot chocolate for you and tea for me." Duncan said taking out ancient china plates for them to eat off.

"This place is so old." Liannon remarked as Duncan said nothing and put food on the plates for them.

"I'm not hungry." She said almost throwing the plate to the floor as Duncan stopped her in a lightning move.

"The china belongs to the monks. Please don't do that." He said holding her wrists for a second before letting go.

"Sorry." She said with a flicker of fear in her eyes before she began to nibble her food.

"Sorry if I scared you. You must behave. Surely you had a routine at the hospital." He said pouring her a mug of chocolate before pouring himself tea.

"Yes. First, get up and make the bed. i did that. Second, eat breakfast and dress."

"Sounds very institutional." Duncan said sipping his tea.

"You know it was an institution did you not?" She asked sipping her drink.

"Yes. What after?"

"A walk or something to occupy me. Art, music, or reading. Then lunch and chores." She said finishing her meal.

"Then I know what to do. Get dressed and I'll clean up. Then we can go for a walk. Is that ok with you?" Duncan asked not wanting to upset her.

"Yes, thank you. Fresh air you know." She said hurrying off to dress as duncan piled dishes in an ancient but clean sink to wait her return.

She must have known the weather was cool because she returned wearing black trousers with a fluffy fleece sweater of blue with her feet clad in sneakers.

"Very nice. You need a jacket." He said preparing to wait for her to go and fetch one.

"I don't have one." She said turning away ashamedly.

"Everyone has a jacket. You don't?"

"We never really went outside for walking. We walked--"

"Around the hospital. don't worry. You can wear one of Adam's." Duncan said moving to a nearby closet he knew methos kept his monk's jacket in.

"Are you sure? What if there's personal things in the pockets?"

"Adam? I doubt it. Put it on before the whole day's wasted." Duncan ordered as Liannon put on the jacket and felt safe with Adam's jacket surrounding her in warmth.

The air was crisp and clear with a few various birds singing as Liannon breathed in the air and felt wonderful. It seemed to her like she'd hadn't been outside for years when they stumbled on the monk's overgrown garden strewn with weeds and tall grass.

"What's that?" She asked pointing at the mass of growth.

"It used to be the monk's garden. it's overgrown." Duncan said seeing pleasure come over Liannon's face.

"I'll pull the weeds. Will you mow the grass and till the soil?" she asked going to a nearby shed for gloves and a trowel.

"What about our walk?" Duncan asked following close behind.

"After this?" Liannon suggested hoping he'd not object.

"let me mow first. Then you and I can pull weeds." Duncan said seeing a smile spread over Liannon's face as she found an overturned barrel to sit on and wait until he was done mowing. Then They pulled weeds and Duncan tilled the soil as Liannon felt halted later for the lack of seeds.

"It's wonderful." She said trying to hide her disappointment.

"But?" He asked with his hands in his pockets.

"Where are the seeds? There's nothing to plant." She said as he took his hands out of his pockets and showed her dozens of packets of seeds as she tossed back her head and laughed.

"I like being the hero." He said as she quickly hugged him before spreading seeds all over the garden laughing out loud.

"Thank you, Duncan." She said as they walked along a road near the Sene an hour later.

"You weren't annoyed I didn't tell you about the seeds right away?"

"No. You were trying to make things better. I know I can be a downer a lot of the time." She admitted as two men clad in armor accosted them in the middle of the road.

"What do you want?" duncan asked knowing they were immortals.

"Give us the blind girl and you can go." A tall man rasped with whispy black hair and greedy green eyes.

"We won't hurt you if you comply." A younger man said with a bowl cut of grey locks with mean-looking brown eyes.

You can have me then." Liannon said holding her sword behind her back as Duncan was about to protest. as the man almost grabbed her when she brought up her sword at the right time and severed his head as the second man fought with Macleod as Liannon watched in fatigue as Duncan killed the other.

"Adam and I wondered how you killed. Now I know." duncan said in amazement as Liannon had begun to shake.

"Another sin." Liannon said with trembling lips as Duncan quickly guided her back to the safe haven of the monistary.

"It's not a sin to survive. we all do it." Duncan said moving to embrace her as a memory took hold and Duncan almost lost his head.

"No! There isn't only one! There are many!" Liannon shouted taking up her sword and swinging it at Duncan as his strong hands encircled her wrists, pressuring them until she dropped the sword.

"Sorry, but i don't intend to die today." He said as she huddled against a wall and began to cry.

"Sorry. I took my father's head." She said getting up and moving towards the sink of dirty dishes for a reason Duncan didn't know.

"It's ok. The past can haunt us when we don't want it to. i think it best if we lock up your sword for awhile. Ok?" he asked locking her sword in a closet as she began to stack the dishes to wash.

"It's best until I remember the past and forget it." She said filling the sink with soapy water as Duncan joined her at the second side.

"I'll dry and put away. Deal?" he asked taking a towel from the stove.

"Deal. Thank you. after, I'll clean the bathroom and then lie down. I feel tired." She whispered as Duncan nodded approval as she began washing so he could dry and put them away after she rinsed off the soap. The two of them acting like washing dishes was normal stuff.

VI

"I brought dinner." Methos said entering the kitchen where Duncan sat reading a book on ancient texts.

"I'm not staying, but Liannon might eat." Duncan said closing the book to face methos as he took a chair across from his friend with a beer.

"Did something happen?" Methos asked not seeing Liannon around.

"A few incidents happened. What do you want to hear first?"

"Well, the garden looks better than it has in centuries." Methos said pulling on his beer.

"That was the highlight of our day. Two immortals came to kill us. Liannon almost let one grab her. Then she reached up and cut off his head at the last possible second."

"And you had to fight with the second one before taking his head? At least we know how she does it."

"She doesn't like it. She had some memory and tried to behead me next." Duncan in all seriousness.

"What did you do?"

"I made her put it down with force and locked it up." Duncan said sighing and getting up to leave.

"Thanks, Mac. You don't have to stay with her if you don't want to. I know how hard it can be." Methos said with concerned eyes.

"It's not that hard. i can handle her and myself. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Thanks again." Methos said watching Duncan leave before putting dinner in the fridge and making his way to the room he knew Liannon lay in.

"He walks with feet of a ghost." Liannon said with a weak smile upon seeing methos's gaunt face.

"Duncan told me. Are you ok?" He asked taking her hand in both of his.

"I'll be fine. I killed another. Another sin." She said with teary eyes.

"It's not a sin to survive."

"Duncan said that too." She said as a memory came to her of a boat and Methos's face telling her to get in.

"Liannon, what is it?" Methos asked in alarm.

"I'm all right. Just give me a moment." She said as she let the memory surface from a time of war.

Liannon saw herself wearing a drab grey gown as she stood in a line with her father Crispin Kilter. Adolf Hitler circled the line with a face that she knew meant their demise as she decided to deal with Hitler for their lives as Hitler wore the uniform of the Nazi party of which he was the head.

"Please, Herr Hitler. A word." She pleaded as Hitler stopped before her with folded impatient arms.

"Vat ist ict?" he asked staring her down with intimidating blue eyes.

"I don't want to die. Is there anyway I can save us? Change your mind, Herr Hitler?"

"Zere might be a vay if zour villink."

"What is it? I'll do anything." Liannon said desperately as Crispin stared at her with disappointed, dark blue eyes.

"don't make deals with the enemy, Liannon. You don't know what men can do. What monsters they can be."

"Silence!" Hitler demanded back-handing Crispin hard as he felt blood fill his mouth and spat it on the ground.

"Please! don't hurt him. What are your terms?"

"Simple. Zou become my concubine and I might lez zour fatzer go." Hitler said to her with a lear that sickened Crispin's very will.

"Will you let all of us go?"

"I'll zink abouz ict. Vait here." Hitler said going to his tent to think on it as Crispin took out his sword.

"Do you think I'll let you submit yourself to him?" Crispin asked behind gritted teeth pointing the blade at Liannon's throat.

"Father! What are you doing?" Liannon gasped taking out her own sword for protection but not to kill.

"Hitler will not touch you. I'll die for it. Liannon, there can be only one."

"No, father!" Liannon screamed as she cut off his head knowing that was what he'd wanted. When the quickening came and knocked out all the power so Liannon could run beyond the fence and to the nearby Rhine River where methos who she thought as Adam waited with a boat.

"Help me! My father!" She sobbed as methos wore battle fatigues and pushed her among others into a boat.

"Get in! We're going away from here." He said as she heard his voice in her head coming back to the present, and she knew. She knew a truth that should have been in the front of her mind since the hospital. The truth that Adam Pierson was Methos the immortal.

"Liannon? Are you all right?" Methos asked seeing her ashen face gaze at his with new knowledge.

"Methos, sing me a welsh folksong?" She requested kissing his hand.

"You know?"

"Uh-huh. I've known since 1942."

"then a welsh folksong you shall have." Methos said with sad eyes beginning to sing.

Per Alaw New Sweet Richard

Melody -

A mighty warrior from the north

So Moslem records tell,

In all the pride of pw'r went forth,

The infidel to quell.

His lofty crest seem'd to defy,

Aught peril to be night.

As far across the spreading plain,

Loud came his battle cry,

Strike down the foe, my fellow men,

We fight for God on High!

Unconquer'd is the valiant sword,

Although aside 'twas laid,

When by the traitors treach'rous word,

The warrior was betray'd.

His noble heart may still defy

Aught peril to be nigh,

For soon there shall resound again,

That sacred battle cry,

Strike down the foe, my fellow man,

Ye fight for God on high!

(Seq. by

Lesley Nelson)

"Thank you." Liannon said as Methos watched her drugged pupils disappear by the closing of her lids as she smiled happily.

"Liannon, I'm going to stay with you tomorrow. I want you to feel better." Methos said seeing she slept when he took out his phone to dial his friend.

"Macleod."

"Mac, Liannon knew me in the war."

"What war?"

"I helped some prisoners escape from Owschwitz, and Liannon was one of them."

"so why did you call? What did she say?" duncan asked with a weary sigh.

"She called me Methos and asked me to sing her a song."

"That's good right?"

"Yeah, but I want to stay with her tomorrow. You don't need to come."

"What about work?"

"Evyn's will cover for me. what will you do?"

"I have a comission to teach. Methos, are you ok?"

"I'm ok. Mac, I could love her."

"Go to bed." Mac laughed before hanging up and turning over in bed to sleep. As Methos took his advice and climbed into the bed next to Liannon's simply to be near if she had the need.

VII

Liannon was having a dream about the camp when someone was vigorously shaking her awake. Was it Methos? Why would he do that though? did he want to say goodbye to her before he left for work? Hadn't he said he was staying home today? She wondered as the hand shaking her awake was rough and made her open her eyes to see what was up. As she opened her eyes and peered into steel, green eyes behind dark, angry lashes.

"So you finally woke up huh?" A young man tall with long red hair asked as Liannon blinked to see if he was really there.

"How did you find me?" She asked gazing over to see Methos was still sleeping.

"I found you. did you think you could hide forever?"

"Crinlin, Why are you here?" She asked as he grasped her hair.

"don't you know?"

"You're hurting me." she said in a harsh whisper so Methos would stay asleep.

"You've forgotten haven't you?" He asked as she had a flash of her brother Crinlin handing her over to Dr. Lumier in a Paris hospital.

"crinlin, why did you do that?" She asked as angry tears formed in her eyes.

"Why do you think? Mom and Dad left us a fortune. I will not share." He hissed as her heart broke from his words. Here he was her brother, cold as ice.

"You can have it. I don't want it." She said trying to loosen his fingers from her hair.

"You expect me to believe that? Believe that you're content in this monistary broke with him?" Crinlin asked coldly pointing at methos.

"I like Methos. He's a doctor. what have you ever done?" She asked as he yanked extra hard on her hair.

"This is how this is gonna play. You come out on a walk or i kill your old man here. Which will it be?" He asked showing her a gleaming blade attached to an ivory handle.

"Please, don't harm him. This is holy ground."

"You can come with me now, or he can die. It's up to you, sis." He said with utter contempt.

"If I come with you, do I die?"

"Of course you die. You have a sword. what is there to worry about?" Crinlin said leaving the room as Liannon grabbed methos's sword and followed him out to the road.

Methos awoke when sunlight streamed into the room rousing him. he didn't want to get up, but he knew Liannon would be hungry soon. so he got up and moved to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast when he saw her bed was empty.

"Where are you, Liannon?" He asked knowing his sword was gone. so he improvised by going to the locked closet for her sword to follow her. After all, immortals could sense immortals Methos thought as he left to find her before she could be hurt by whoever or whatever.

"We're stopping here?" Liannon asked as Crinlin moved off a path to a small forest of trees.

"it's a nice little forest. Do you object? You can be Snowwhite and I'll be the Huntsman. Sound fun?" crinlin asked taking out his sword as Liannon held Methos's close.

"Not really. But if that's how you want it. Ok." she said following him into the forest as Methos crept in from the other side.

"So, are you going to beg me for your life?" Crinlin asked turning to tower over her since he was taller.

"No. You'll kill me if you want to."

"Not yet. You have to sign your half over to me before you die." Crinlin said taking a sheath of papers from his pocket for her to sign when Methos made his move.

It was as if it was over in seconds for her as Methos came from behind, cutting off Crinlin's head without a second glance. As Liannon watched her brother's head fall to the ground as the lightning engulfed Methos as he screamed and she fainted.

"Are you ok?" Methos asked standing over her an hour later when she'd come to.

"Where are we? Why are we here?" She asked gazing around the forest confused.

"Can you forget so fast? amazing." Methos said as Liannon blinked and remembered.

"What did you do with the body?" She asked gazing around the forest floor for Crinlin's body and severed head.

"You didn't need to see that. i took care of it. Crinlin will be buried in your family plot in Boston. Is that ok?" He asked sponging her head with a cold cloth.

"How did you know we hailed from Boston?"

"The lawyer on the papers Crinlin had is based in boston. I called him and informed him of Crinlin's untimely death." He said stroking her hair.

"Thank you. He wanted my head."

"Hey. Don't cry. I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you. I promise." Methos said hugging her close.

"Do you know what you're promising? I'm a mess." She said wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"I don't care. I love you, Liannon."

"How can you after such a short time?"

"It's easy. You need me and I need you. Ready to go back now?" He asked getting up from the ground extending a hand to help her up.

"Yes. What about Christine?" She asked seeing him stiffen with his back to her now.

"Christine died. You and I are going to live forever. I loved her then. I love you now. Ok?" He asked turning to her with a serious face.

"Yeah, ok." She said taking his arm to go back. Back to a monistary that was growing to be their home.

Next day

"I see you stopped taking the pills." Duncan said cooking breakfast the next day when Liannon arrived at the table per usual.

"I don't seem to need them anymore. I have Methos." she said with a gleaning smile Duncan knew all about.

"You know there can be only one? You know there will always be trouble?" He warned, serving her breakfast with a stern gaze.

"I know, but I also know my life has given me my desired effect." She said biting into a piece of toast.

"Really? How so?" Duncan asked seeing Methos approach out of the corner of his eye.

"Methos was given to me and I'm finally happy."

"As we all should be." Methos said moving to give her a kiss as Duncan took his leave to find Faith and a kiss from her as well.

The end.


End file.
